Spellbound (1945) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error A psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory. Director: Ben Hecht (screen play), Frances Beeding (suggested by novel: "The House of Dr. Edwardes") | 1 more credit » Stars: a list of 28 titles created 27 Jan 2013 a list of 21 titles created 09 Oct 2013 a list of 34 titles created 24 Jan 2014 a list of 39 titles created 05 Aug 2014 a list of 49 titles created 30 Aug 2015 Search for " Spellbound " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 6 nominations.

See more awards » Photos A woman is asked to spy on a group of Nazi friends in South America. How far will she have to go to ingratiate herself with them? Director: Alfred Hitchcock A shy young heiress marries a charming gentleman, and soon begins to suspect he is planning to murder her. Director: Alfred Hitchcock A young woman discovers her visiting uncle may not be the man he seems to be. Director: Alfred Hitchcock A family vacationing in Morocco accidentally stumble on to an assassination plot and the conspirators are determined to prevent them from interfering. Director: Alfred Hitchcock While traveling in continental Europe, a rich young playgirl realizes that an elderly lady seems to have disappeared from the train. Director: Alfred Hitchcock A self-conscious bride is tormented by the memory of her husband's dead first wife. Director: Alfred Hitchcock Several survivors of a torpedoed ship find themselves in the same boat with one of the men who sunk it. Director: Alfred Hitchcock True story of an innocent man mistaken for a criminal. Director: Alfred Hitchcock When a reformed jewel thief is suspected of returning to his former occupation, he must ferret out the real thief in order to prove his innocence.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.8/10 X A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent. But when the agent is killed and the man stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and also stop a spy ring which is trying to steal top secret information. Director: Alfred Hitchcock The trouble with Harry is that he's dead, and everyone seems to have a different idea of what needs to be done with his body... Director: Alfred Hitchcock Aircraft factory worker Barry Kane goes on the run across the United States when he is wrongly accused of starting a fire that killed his best friend. Director: Alfred Hitchcock Edit Storyline The head of the Green Manors mental asylum Dr. Murchison is retiring to be replaced by Dr. Edwardes, a famous psychiatrist. Edwardes arrives and is immediately attracted to the beautiful but cold Dr. Constance Petersen. However, it soon becomes apparent that Dr. Edwardes is in fact a paranoid amnesiac impostor. He goes on the run with Constance who tries to help his condition and solve the mystery of what happened to the real Dr.

Edwardes. Written by Col Needham <col@imdb.com> Will he Kiss me or Kill me? See more » Genres: 28 December 1945 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound See more » Filming Locations: (with overture and exit music) Sound Mix: Did You Know? Trivia Alfred Hitchcock 's first choice for the role of John Ballantyne was Cary Grant . His second choice was Joseph Cotten . See more » Goofs After buying tickets for Rome, the placement of the money in Dr. Peterson's right hand changes between shots See more » Quotes Just before the opening credits, an overture is played. See more » Connections (Canberra, Australia) – See all my reviews A world in which Freudian psycho-analysis works as it's supposed to is rather like a world in which magic works - so call this film a fantasy. There's nothing whatever wrong with fantasy. Indeed, there's nothing better. Hitchcock announces at the very beginning that the story takes place in a Freudian world; thereafter he plays perfectly fair with us. He even chose the right collaborators for a fantasy. The dream sequences were designed by Salvador Dali.

(Anyone whose dreams really do look like Dali paintings maybe COULD do with some psycho-analysis.) They're not frightening - dream sequences rarely are - but they are at any rate more interesting than the usual dreams we might have or hear about. The music was by Miklós Rózsa, maybe the best of the composers who settled in Hollywood, certainly the most vividly overpowering. He was exactly the right choice for this film - however much Hitchcock disliked the score, or said that he did. The story follows a confused Gregory Peck, who cannot remember key episodes of his recent (and not so recent) past, and who may, just possibly, be a dangerous criminal. Ingrid Bergman is a second-generation disciple of Freud who despite her professional caution finds herself falling in love with him. Perhaps it sounds cardboard already, but the performances invest the characters with more life than my descriptions did. Peck in particular is highly sympathetic. He comes across as not at all mad, not even mentally disturbed - just a man who can't remember one or two things and has an odd aversion to things like parallel lines.

(That?s right - parallel lines.) Anyway, as I said, it's a fantasy: the forces of psychoanalysis must unravel the mystery before it's too late. (Why there's a "too late" is too complicated to go into.) The usual kind of Hitchcock suspense isn't there but the man WAS capable of moving outside his home genre now and then. Remember, his other fantasy was "The Birds". 40 of 63 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Spellbound [1945] [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov, Leo G. Carroll, Rhonda Fleming, John Emery, Norman Lloyd, Bill Goodwin, Steven Geray, Alfred Hitchcock: DVD & Blu-ray Spellbound [1945] [DVD] Promotion Message Promotion Available 1 Promotion(s) In stock. Want it delivered by Tuesday, 24 Jan.? Order within 10 hrs 6 mins and choose AmazonGlobal Priority at checkout. Details Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available. Note: This item is eligible for click and collect. Details Pick up your parcel at a time and place that suits you.

Choose from over 13,000 locations across the UK Prime members get unlimited deliveries at no additional cost How to order to an Amazon Pickup Location? Find your preferred location and add it to your address book Dispatch to this address when you check out 25 new from Â£3.60 2 used from Â£3.08 LOVEFiLM By Post Rent Spellbound on DVD from LOVEFiLM By Post Add to Basket Â£5.99 & FREE Delivery in the UK on orders over Â£20. Details In stock. Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available. Special Offers and Product Promotions Enjoy Â£1.00 credit to spend on movies or TV on Amazon Video when you purchase a DVD or Blu-ray offered by Amazon.co.uk. A maximum of 1 credit per customer applies. UK customers only. Offer ends at 23:59 GMT on Wednesday, December 20, 2017 Here's how (terms and conditions apply) Find all the best television shows from the other side of the pond in our US TV store and catch the latest shows in our 2014's Hottest TV page.

Frequently Bought Together Add all three to Basket Buy the selected items together This item:Spellbound [1945] [DVD] by Ingrid Bergman DVD Â£5.99 In stock. Sent from and sold by Amazon. FREE Delivery on orders over Â£20. Details Notorious [1946] [DVD] by Cary Grant DVD Â£5.99 In stock. Sent from and sold by Amazon. FREE Delivery on orders over Â£20. Details To Catch a Thief [DVD] [1955] by Cary Grant DVD Â£4.99 In stock. Sent from and sold by Amazon. FREE Delivery on orders over Â£20. Details What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item? Format: PAL, Black & White, Full Screen, Mono Language: English Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats. ) Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1 DVD Release Date: 1 Jan. 2008 Run Time: 97 minutes Product Description Product Description Psychological thriller from master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock.

Psychiatrist Dr Constance Peterson (Ingrid Bergman) is intrigued by the arrival of her new boss, Dr Edwardes (Gregory Peck). Edwardes seems to be suffering from amnesia, and when he faints it transpires that he is in fact an imposter, and may be guilty of murdering the real Dr Edwardes. Constance sets about probing the imposter's psyche in an attempt to discover the truth. Features a famous dream sequence designed by Salvador Dali. From Amazon.co.uk Alfred Hitchcock takes on Sigmund Freud in this thriller in which psychologist Ingrid Bergman tries to solve a murder by unlocking the clues hidden in the mind of amnesiac suspect Gregory Peck. Among the highlights is a bizarre dream sequence seemingly designed by Salvador Dali--complete with huge eyeballs and pointy scissors. Although the film is in black and white, the original release contained one subliminal blood-red frame, appearing when a gun pointed directly at the camera goes off. Spellbound is one of Hitchcock's strangest and most atmospheric films, providing the director with plenty of opportunities to explore what he called "pure cinema"--i.e., the power of pure visual associations.

Miklós Rózsa's haunting score (which features the creepy electronic instrument, the theremin) won an Oscar, and the movie was nominated for best picture, director, supporting actor (Michael Chekhov), cinematography and special visual effects. --Jim Emerson --This text refers to an alternate DVD edition. Sponsored Products Related To This Item (What's this?) Page 1 of 1 Start over Sponsored Products are advertisements for products sold by merchants on Amazon. When you click on a Sponsored Product ad, you will be taken to an Amazon detail page where you can learn more about the product and purchase it. To learn more about Amazon Sponsored Products, click here . Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. By Daniel Jolley HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER on 29 Nov. 2002 Format: DVD This movie is a product of that golden age of incredible plots, talented actors, and visionary directing.

A description of the plot may sound somewhat banal, and I doubt if the same movie could be made today and be taken seriously, but this classic is a masterful piece of cinema. When Dr. Edwards (Gregory Peck) arrives at Green Manors Mental Asylum to replace the head man, he quickly falls for the heretofore distant, hyperanalytical Dr. Constance Petersen (played by the incomparable Ingrid Bergman). Constance soon discovers that the man she is falling in love with is not Dr. Edwards at all but is instead an amnesiac who has taken the place of the real Dr. Edwards. Although the impostor is afraid he killed the real doctor, Constance is determined to help him regain his memory. The mystery of Dr. Edward's disappearance quickly leads to a police investigation, but Constance follows her "patient" to the city and eventually takes him to the home of her mentor, striving to prove that the man she loves is not a murderer. The ending, I must say, does not disappoint; it actually exceeded my own expectations. Bergman is naturally wonderful in her role, and her accent adds a trace of mystery to an already suspenseful story. The portrayal of Dr.

Murchison, the previous head of the asylum, is smooth, polished, and quite effective, and the actor portraying Constance's former mentor does a masterful job as a somewhat stereotypical pseudo-Freud blessed with a penchant for making remarks I found quite humorous. While Gregory Peck is also very good, he seems to go a little over the top at times when he is reacting to troubling stimuli. Hitchcock's direction is both innovative and masterful. Read more › 45 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By Amos Spitalhatch on 9 May 2012 Format: DVD Verified Purchase I enjoyed this film when I saw it on television many years ago and jumped at the chance to buy the DVD. The story is much as one would expect from a Hitchcock film; the acting is excellent, as one would expect from stars of the calibre of Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman. The Sigmund Freud character stands out too.

I was however disappointed to discover that while the film has been restored to its original pristine state, the sound leaves a lot to be desired. I have poor hearing and strained to follow the dialogue, only to be knocked over the back of my chair by the teeth-rattling dramatic music that intruded at regular intervals. The music is too loud and the film should have a subtitle option. Pity really - I'd been looking forward to seeing it again. 2 Comments 10 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By Kenneth F. Mcara VINE VOICE on 11 Aug. 2009 Format: DVD Verified Purchase This is one of several Hitchcock films which have been released by Fremantle as having been "restored from the original negative and...also...digitally restored for optimum picture and sound quality".

The results of the process used are patchy in the other films ( Notorious [1946] [DVD ] and Paradine Case [DVD] [1947 ]) resulting in a soundtrack which needs the volume turned up high and a rather 'soft' picture quality, but 'Spellbound' seems to have turned out best. It's an everyday tale of psychiatrists at work and play in and around the Green Manors Mental Asylum, which is suddenly disrupted by the arrival of the famous Dr Edwards (Gregory Peck), who no one from the institution has ever met or seen before - or have they? There then follows a love affair with Ingrid Bergman, dramatic handwriting comparisons, escape from the police, drugged milk, Peck wielding a cut-throat razor, gigantic 'prop' hands, Peck skiing down a mountain whilst still wearing his lounge suit, a single frame of colour (red) and the famous Salvador Dali "dream" sequence which is satisfyingly like one of his paintings come to life. Magnificent fun in a decent print at a very attractive price. Comment 13 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By Adrian Drew TOP 500 REVIEWER on 26 Jun. 2015 Format: Blu-ray Verified Purchase A solid, if not spectacular, blu ray version of Hitchcock's psychological melodrama. The definition and black levels vary tremendously and the score suffers a little too although it's fascinating to have both the overture and exit music contained on the disc. The extras are fascination and even if the plot isn't the Master's finest the luminous Ms Bergman and her co-star Gregory Peck are most impressive. Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By Budge on 13 Jan. 2006 Format: DVD It has been said to be one of Hitchcock's more interesting "failures". I loved it and I think the reason that it has been deemed a failure is because it doesn't consentrate on suspense as much as his others around that time. Plus David O. Selznick was not the best partner for Hitch and interfeered a lot.

The story revolves on the axis of psychoanalysis and maybe consentrates on the theme a little too much as Hitch was interested in the criminal mind. But it is obviously a classic Hitchcock and, contrary to another reviwer, has stood the test of time. As for suspense, there are a number of obviouse occasions where it is being put to great use- With the gun at the end and the ski slope to name but two. And all through the movie there is a lingering shadow, or rather layer of dread that they may be found out before Peck is cured. There are also some ingenuitive and ingenious Hitchcock moments; the milk glass and the flash of colour (in a black and white movie) as the gun is fired- from a great angle... plus Dali's dream sequence which is entrawling! Just one of those examples will definetly whet your apetite. Ingrid Bergman is absolutly fantastic in this film; better, even, than in Notorious, and is a delight to watch. It will strike you straight away and she keeps it up throughout the entire picture. Gregory Peck is, as always, a treat and matches Cary Grant as one of Hitchcock's top leading men.

The twists at the end are captivating and will get your pulse racing. Maybe Hitchcock's most unusual U.S film and a must have for collectors and fans. It pairs well with the different but brilliant Notorious! Nuff' Said! Comment 13 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again Spellbound [1945] (Alfred Hitchcock) [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Rhonda Fleming, Leo G. Carroll, Wallace Ford, Donald Curtis, Alfred Hitchcock: DVD & Blu-ray By Daniel Jolley HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER on 29 Nov. 2002 Format: DVD This movie is a product of that golden age of incredible plots, talented actors, and visionary directing. A description of the plot may sound somewhat banal, and I doubt if the same movie could be made today and be taken seriously, but this classic is a masterful piece of cinema. When Dr.

Edwards (Gregory Peck) arrives at Green Manors Mental Asylum to replace the head man, he quickly falls for the heretofore distant, hyperanalytical Dr. Constance Petersen (played by the incomparable Ingrid Bergman). Constance soon discovers that the man she is falling in love with is not Dr. Edwards at all but is instead an amnesiac who has taken the place of the real Dr. Edwards. Although the impostor is afraid he killed the real doctor, Constance is determined to help him regain his memory. The mystery of Dr. Edward's disappearance quickly leads to a police investigation, but Constance follows her "patient" to the city and eventually takes him to the home of her mentor, striving to prove that the man she loves is not a murderer. The ending, I must say, does not disappoint; it actually exceeded my own expectations. Bergman is naturally wonderful in her role, and her accent adds a trace of mystery to an already suspenseful story. The portrayal of Dr.

Murchison, the previous head of the asylum, is smooth, polished, and quite effective, and the actor portraying Constance's former mentor does a masterful job as a somewhat stereotypical pseudo-Freud blessed with a penchant for making remarks I found quite humorous. While Gregory Peck is also very good, he seems to go a little over the top at times when he is reacting to troubling stimuli. Hitchcock's direction is both innovative and masterful. Read more › By Amos Spitalhatch on 9 May 2012 Format: DVD Verified Purchase I enjoyed this film when I saw it on television many years ago and jumped at the chance to buy the DVD. The story is much as one would expect from a Hitchcock film; the acting is excellent, as one would expect from stars of the calibre of Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman. The Sigmund Freud character stands out too. I was however disappointed to discover that while the film has been restored to its original pristine state, the sound leaves a lot to be desired. I have poor hearing and strained to follow the dialogue, only to be knocked over the back of my chair by the teeth-rattling dramatic music that intruded at regular intervals.

The music is too loud and the film should have a subtitle option. Pity really - I'd been looking forward to seeing it again. 2 Comments 10 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By Kenneth F. Mcara VINE VOICE on 11 Aug. 2009 Format: DVD Verified Purchase This is one of several Hitchcock films which have been released by Fremantle as having been "restored from the original negative and...also...digitally restored for optimum picture and sound quality". The results of the process used are patchy in the other films ( Notorious [1946] [DVD ] and Paradine Case [DVD] [1947 ]) resulting in a soundtrack which needs the volume turned up high and a rather 'soft' picture quality, but 'Spellbound' seems to have turned out best.

It's an everyday tale of psychiatrists at work and play in and around the Green Manors Mental Asylum, which is suddenly disrupted by the arrival of the famous Dr Edwards (Gregory Peck), who no one from the institution has ever met or seen before - or have they? There then follows a love affair with Ingrid Bergman, dramatic handwriting comparisons, escape from the police, drugged milk, Peck wielding a cut-throat razor, gigantic 'prop' hands, Peck skiing down a mountain whilst still wearing his lounge suit, a single frame of colour (red) and the famous Salvador Dali "dream" sequence which is satisfyingly like one of his paintings come to life. Magnificent fun in a decent print at a very attractive price. Comment 13 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By Adrian Drew TOP 500 REVIEWER on 26 Jun. 2015 Format: Blu-ray Verified Purchase A solid, if not spectacular, blu ray version of Hitchcock's psychological melodrama.

The definition and black levels vary tremendously and the score suffers a little too although it's fascinating to have both the overture and exit music contained on the disc. The extras are fascination and even if the plot isn't the Master's finest the luminous Ms Bergman and her co-star Gregory Peck are most impressive. Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By Budge on 13 Jan. 2006 Format: DVD It has been said to be one of Hitchcock's more interesting "failures". I loved it and I think the reason that it has been deemed a failure is because it doesn't consentrate on suspense as much as his others around that time. Plus David O. Selznick was not the best partner for Hitch and interfeered a lot. The story revolves on the axis of psychoanalysis and maybe consentrates on the theme a little too much as Hitch was interested in the criminal mind. But it is obviously a classic Hitchcock and, contrary to another reviwer, has stood the test of time.

As for suspense, there are a number of obviouse occasions where it is being put to great use- With the gun at the end and the ski slope to name but two. And all through the movie there is a lingering shadow, or rather layer of dread that they may be found out before Peck is cured. There are also some ingenuitive and ingenious Hitchcock moments; the milk glass and the flash of colour (in a black and white movie) as the gun is fired- from a great angle... plus Dali's dream sequence which is entrawling! Just one of those examples will definetly whet your apetite. Ingrid Bergman is absolutly fantastic in this film; better, even, than in Notorious, and is a delight to watch. It will strike you straight away and she keeps it up throughout the entire picture. Gregory Peck is, as always, a treat and matches Cary Grant as one of Hitchcock's top leading men. The twists at the end are captivating and will get your pulse racing. Maybe Hitchcock's most unusual U.S film and a must have for collectors and fans. It pairs well with the different but brilliant Notorious! Nuff' Said!

Comment 13 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again Alfred Hitchcock Premiere Collection by Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Ingrid Bergman | 883904109853 | DVD | Barnes & Noble® Menu Overview Seeking a creative challenge after several years' worth of fairly elaborate melodramas, director Alfred Hitchcock stages all of the action in Lifeboat in one tiny boat, adrift in the North Atlantic. The boat holds eight survivors of a Nazi torpedo attack: sophisticated magazine writer/photographer Constance Porter (Tallulah Bankhead), Communist seaman John Kovac (John Hodiak), nurse Alice MacKenzie (Mary Anderson), mild-mannered radio-operator Stan (Hume Cronyn), seriously wounded Brooklynese stoker Gus Smith (William Bendix), insufferable-capitalist Charles Rittenhouse (Henry Hull), black-steward George Spencer (Canada Lee) and half-mad passenger Mrs. Higgins (Heather Angel), who carries the body of her dead baby.

This adroitly calculated cross-section of humanity is reduced by one when Mrs. Higgins kills herself. After a day or so of floating aimlessly about, the castaways pick up another passenger, Willy (Walter Slezak), who is a survivor from the German U-boat. At first everyone assumes that Willy cannot speak English, but when the necessity arises he reveals himself to be conversant in several languages and highly intelligent; in fact, he was the U-boat's captain. As the only one on board with any sense of seamanship, Willy steers a course to his mother ship, while the others resign themselves to being prisoners of war. After it becomes necessary to amputate Gus's leg, Willy decides that the burly stoker is excess weight; while the others sleep, he tosses Gus overboard, watching dispassionately as the poor man drowns. When the rest of the passengers discover what he's done, all of them (with one significant exception) violently gang up on Gus, and once more, the lifeboat drifts about sans navigation.

Advertising 9:54:00 Special Features The Lodger - A Story of the London Fog:; Includes audio commentary, audio interviews with Peter Bogdanovich and François, making-of featurette; Sabotage:; Includes audio commentary, audio interview with Peter Bogdanovich; Young and Innocent:; Includes audio commentary, audio interviews with Peter Bogdanovich and François Truffaut; Rebecca:; Includes audio commentary, two featurettes, screen tests, audio interviews with Peter Bogdanovich and François Truffaut; Lifeboat:; Includes audio commentary, the making-of featurette; Spellbound:; Audio commentary, three featurettes, audio interview with Peter Bogdanovich; Notorious:; Audio commentary, two featurettes, AFI Tribute to Hitchcock, audio interviews with Peter Bogdanovich and François Truffaut; The Paradine Case:; Includes audio commentary, audio interviews with Peter Bogdanovich Related Subjects Spellbound | DVD Review | Film @ The Digital Fix Extras Extras Interview with Hitchcock (3 mins), Interview with Kim Newman (15 mins), Production Notes, Stills Gallery, Biographies, Quotes, Trivia Soundtracks Subtitles English Mike Sutton has reviewed the Region 2 release of Spellbound

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A hugely enjoyable thriller from Hitchcock with top class production values. The DVD is better than expected. Spellbound is one of Hitchcock's most ridiculously enjoyable films; on any rational level it's a load of rubbish, but when something is delivered with such skill and luxuriant style its hard not to go along for the ride. The film of his that it most resembles is the equally silly and sumptuous Marnie which also indulged in much Freudian nonsense with a commendably straight face. For some reason, most serious Hitch scholars relegate Spellbound to the second rank of his films, which demonstrates how suspicious straight-faced film fans tend to be of anything which is so entertaining. The bonkers plot is set in Green Manors Mental Institution where apparently nice young ladies play cards all day before attempting to mutilate the male members of staff with their impeccably manicured fingernails. Ingrid Bergman, more gorgeous than ever, plays Dr Constance Peterson, something of an ice maiden who melts upon setting her eyes upon the hunky new director of the asylum Dr Edwards (Gregory Peck). Dr Edwards is a world famous psychologist whose book about suppressed demons of the mind has been very influential on Dr Peterson.

One day in the country later, the two doctors are passionately in love so it comes as something of an inconvenience when Dr Peterson discovers that Dr Edwards is not all that he appears to be. The sleeve of the DVD reveals more of the film's plot than it should, but I will not follow that example since much of the fun of Spellbound lies in the convoluted storyline. It's one of Hitch's relatively few "whodunnit" films, which is quite appropriate for a story which relies on the psychological deconstruction of the apparently irrational. At the centre of the film is the celebrated dream sequence designed by Salvador Dali which is very typical of his brand of cheerful surrealism. However, entertaining as it is as a set-piece, it's not a patch on the smaller psychological touches like the constant repetitions of the black lines which cause Peck to have a funny turn. The problem is perhaps that we watch Hitchcock films for Hitch and not for Dali, and the dream scene is so clearly Dali's work that it seems to have strayed in from another film.

The explanation of the scene forms the denoument of the story and is none too convincing, but then Hitchcock was never all that bothered about the scientific stuff anyway and it's all part of the guiltily enjoyable melodramatic tone of the film. The script is full of amusing dialogue, thanks to the great Ben Hecht who wrote Hitchcock's sublime Notorious the following year. This film doesn't rise to the same heights as the later collaboration, lacking the subtlety of the performances and the cruelty of the plotting, but it's still hugely entertaining. The tone of self-indulgent romanticism is captured perfectly by Miklos Rosza's score, one of his most beautiful compositions and well deserving of the Oscar it won. His music actually sounds what we might now call Herrmannesque, although Hitchcock didn't actually work with Bernard Herrmann for another ten years. The only weak link in this very entertaining chain is the awesomely dull Gregory Peck. Attempting to emote, he generates as much screen excitement as a wax dummy of John Major. When he tried to appear romantic with Bergman, there is no erotic heat at all; compare their kiss to that of Cary Grant and Bergman in Notorious to see the difference.

Peck isn't a bad actor, he's just a very boring one. Compared to Ingrid Bergman, he's got all the charisma of a block of wood. Luckily, few scenes depend on his character for their effect. Bergman's fellow doctors are all personable chaps, Leo G.Carroll adds his usual authority to the proceedings and there's a wonderful cameo from Michael Chekhov as a fussy professor. If any of you have seen The Boys From Brazil and wondered where on earth Olivier got that accent from, here is the explanation. What makes the film so enjoyable, however, is the guiltily enjoyable tone which probably looked ridiculously over-heated back in 1945. Everything about it is slightly over the top and thus hugely entertaining. I place it with Marnie because both films have a crazy romanticism to them which is larger than life and more than a little camp. But, camp is not necessarily a bad thing when it is done with such professionalism and Spellbound is a great example of how much fun a 'bad movie' can be. The Disc This is part of a collection of Hitch films from the forties released on Region 2 by Pearson TV.

My VHS copy of Spellbound had serious sound problems and a grainy picture. This DVD is a considerable improvement and Pearson have made some attempt to make it a more interesting package than I expected. It's not a great disc but it is certainly quite pleasing. Picture quality is more than satisfactory. The monochrome image is sharp and clear with a good level of detail and some nice contrast. Seeing this film on VHS was painful, since the print was muddy and the shades had merged to form a dull grey. No such problems here, although there is some artifacting in places and a slightly grainy texture in places. The fullscreen presentation is entirely correct as it was filmed in 4:3 along with virtually all other films of the period. The very brief red tint is included - see if you can spot it. The sound is the original mono soundtrack and is perfectly acceptable. The music sounds especially good. Again, a vast improvement on the VHS. There are quite a few extras and although most of these are text based and duplicated on the other discs in the series it is nice to see PTV making an effort for this collection.

Specific to this disc are an extract about the making of Spellbound from Truffaut's book on Hitchcock, biographies of the stars, quotes, trivia and mistakes and a photo gallery backed by the main theme from the film. The other extras feature on all the discs. We also get a 15 minute interview with Kim Newman, which is a bit generalised but quite interesting. One classic howler however - he informs us that Hitchcock never made "whodunnits"; er, Kim... what is Spellbound then ? There is a 3 minute interview with Hitch from the BBC's "Picture Parade" show, filmed in the early sixties, which is notable for containing nothing of great interest and typical of Hitchcock's charming refusal to reveal much of his own personality. "The Real Me (The Thin One)" is a newspaper article from 1966 which contains some classic quotes (in response to the accusation that he said actors were cattle, Hitch replies, "What I probably said was that they should be treated like cattle). There are also some biographical notes about both Hitch and David O.

Selznick - Selznick's influence on the film seems to have mostly been to increase the amount of psycho-analytical mumbo-jumbo content and to insist on the casting of Ingrid Bergman. Finally, there are some amusing Hitchcock quotes and trivia. There are 14 chapter stops and the menus are nicely designed. The main menu is backed by a portion of the score. Although Criterion is planning to release Spellbound later in the year, I would still recommend this disc, especially if you can get hold of it at a bargain price as I did. Pearson have put a reasonable amount of effort into the disc and the picture quality is certainly better than I expected. Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck are Spellbound - Read expert review at epinions.com Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck are Spellbound Review by dragonfire88 Pros: Entertaining, mostly suspenseful movie. Bergman and Peck. Cons: Some overly dramatic moments. Slower pace at times. I can't remember when I first saw a Hitchcock movie, but I have been enjoying them for many years.

There are still several of his movies that I haven't seen, though I have added some of them to my DVD collection and I have been watching them in recent months. I just watched Spellbound for the first time. The staff at a mental hospital is waiting for the new director to arrive. Dr. Murchison is being forced to retire by the board of the hospital. Dr. Constance Peterson is sad to see Dr. Murchison leave, and she isn't in a hurry to welcome Dr. Anthony Edwards, the new director. The staff is surprised by how young Dr. Edwards is when he arrives and there is an immediate attraction between him and Constance. They spend some time together and quickly develop feelings for each other, but complications are also present with how Anthony freaks out at times. After an incident causes him to pass out, Constance is watching over him while he sleeps when she discovers that he isn't really Anthony. When he wakes up, they talk and he admits that he can't remember who he is. He only knows the initials J. B. and he believes that he killed the real Dr. Edwards.

Constance doesn't believe he is a killer and she decides she is going to help him, even it if means going after him and avoiding the police. Spellbound begins by sharing an explanation for psychoanalysis. That does set up the expectation that psychoanalysis is going to play an important part in the movie. Several of the characters, including one of the main characters, work at a mental hospital and the other main character requires therapy and psychoanalysis. The movie does talk about different things like dream analysis. It does seem like the things tied to psychoanalysis are explained in a more simple manner. Evidently this movie is one of the first to deal with psychoanalysis. It is fairly early in Spellbound when it comes out that J. B. isn't really Dr. Edwards. It takes a long time after that before his real identity is discovered and his memory is filled in. Several scenes deal with Constance working with him, trying to unlock his memory. The things going on with J. B. and few little bits and pieces he starts to remember do add some mystery to what is going on. That aspect of the plot is interesting, though several of those scenes do move a bit slower, which may bother some viewers.

That movie does have a somewhat slower pace overall, though I didn't feel that it was so slow that things became boring. Tension and suspense do build up throughout much of the movie so there is a decent amount of suspense. A little bit of time is taken at the beginning of Spellbound to introduce the characters and set up the situations. After that, most of the movie is focused on Constance deciding to help J. B. and then doing everything she can to achieve that goal. Even with all the psychoanalysis stuff included, the plot isn't that complicated but it really isn't simple either. At times it seems like the psychoanalysis stuff is basically just filler to make it seem like things are more complicated than they really are. The plot could have been a bit stronger, but it still makes for an interesting and entertaining movie. Some of the scenes do seem to be a bit more dramatic than is needed. At times the score turns very creepy sounding even when nothing creepy is happening. Spellbound includes a somewhat weird dream sequence that was designed by artist Salvador Dali. I don't know much about Dali or his art, but I could tell that many of the images in the dream sequence fit Dali's style.

The sequence is interesting, though I had no clue what the images were supposed to mean. The dream is interpreted at one point and some of the explanations make sense to me while others don't. I have no idea if that analysis is based on any sort of fact on real dream analysis or not. The dream sequence was originally intended to be much longer, but Selznick cut it. I think some sort of special effects were used during the dream sequence, though I don't know what type. The sequence looks good and works well. At one point, Constance and J. B. are skiing and the close ups in that sequence don't look as good. It looks like the actors were place in front of a screen that had footage playing on it. Most of the Hitchcock movies that I have seen have had at least a little bit of romance in them, which the romance playing bigger parts in various movies. The relationship that develops between Constance and J. B. is very important to the overall plot since that causes her to do most of what she does. When they first meet, there is an attraction between them. After spending just a small amount of time together, they grow even closer and both mention love.

Because of her feelings, Constance follows J. B. and is determined to uncover his memory and prove that he isn't a killer. The two of them are shown alone in a few different bedrooms though not much happens. Most of the time, Constance is watching over him as he sleeps or trying to get him to remember something. The relationship is rather mild even though it provides a reason for much of what Constance does. Constance is introduced within the first few minutes of Spellbound as a staff member at the mental hospital. She seems to be the only woman doctor and while she is respected by her male co-workers, they all seem to feel that she is cold and unfeeling, needing to experience romance to get in touch with her own feelings to be more effective at her job. Constance starts to act differently after meeting Dr. Edwards. She is still focused on being a good therapist, but she is also feeling more emotions. I think Ingrid Bergman did well with the part. Dr. Murchison has been in charge at the mental hospital for a while. A recent personal issue has caused him to be forced into retirement, something he seems to accept. He is only in a few scenes, but Leo G.

Carroll does fine with the part. Dr. Fleurot is another doctor at the mental hospital who gives Constance advice on certain things. It does seem like he is interested in more than a working relationship with her, though that never goes anywhere. John Emery is fine in the part. The other staff members that turn up are barely shown and aren't important to what is going on. Only a few patients are shown. Dr. Anthony Edwards has a reputation in the world of psychoanalysis though none of the staff at the hospital have met him before he arrives. He is younger than expected and acts oddly a few times before collapsing. It doesn't take long for Constance to figure out that he isn't Dr. Edwards. He does admit things at that point, including that he has no idea who he is. He only has the initials J and B to go by and he thinks he killed the real Dr. Edwards. The character is more complex than the others thanks to the issues he is working through. Gregory Peck does a good job with the part. Dr. Brulov becomes involved in what is going on when Constance goes to him for help. He is older and one of her former teachers.

He frequently seems to be clueless about what is going on, though he notices more. Michael Chekhov does well with the part. Main Cast Ingrid Bergman - Dr. Constance Peterson Leo G. Carroll - Dr. Murchison Michael Chekhov - Dr. Brulov Gregory Peck - Dr. Anthony Edwards/J. B. Alfred Hitchcock - Director DVD Information Spellbound has been released on DVD a few different times. I'm not sure if the different versions have different extras or not. My copy is the version that was released as part of The Alfred Hitchcock Premier Collection with some of his other earlier movies. I'm not sure if the picture has been restored, but it looks very good throughout the movie. There is a commentary with two film historians that I haven't listened to. Dreaming with Scissors: Hitchcock, Surrealism and Salvador Dali Featurette is focused on the dream sequence. Different people talk about the scene and how Selznick cut much of it during the editing process. Some information about Dail is shared during the featurette as well. I did enjoy the featurette.

Guilt by Association: Psychoanalyzing Spellbound Featurette is focused on discussing the psychoanalysis elements used in the movie. The issues that many military men were facing after the end of World War II is brought up as is the fact that Selznick is going through therapy at the time as well. The featurette is very interesting. A Cinderella Story: Rhonda Fleming Featurette has the actress talking about how she was discovered and quickly given a contract. She talks about things connected to her career and the charity work she has done later in her life. I honestly hadn't heard of her before. The other extras include a radio play from 1948 directed by Hitchcock, an interview with Hitchcock done by Peter Bogdanovich, a still gallery, and the original theatrical trailer. Spellbound is another very entertaining Hitchcock movie. Some things do seem a bit overly dramatic, but the plot works overall. Fans of Hitchcock's movies or of the cast should give this one a chance. Hitchcock Movie Reviews

Question: In which Hitchcock film did Ingrid Bergman play Dr Constance Peterson and Gregory Peck play Dr Anthony Edwards?
Answer: Spellbound